Baptists/free will

QuestionQUESTION: Is man a free moral agent, and what does the bible say about it?

ANSWER: Hi Phil,
When the Bible says to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and have your sins forgiven and receive eternal life....the act of believing is of one's free will. No where in the Bible do you have God violating man's will. God offers grace and redemption, but only if it is willing accepted.
Note what Jesus said: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36)

"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (John 3:19-21)

Also read Romans 1:18-25. Men know the truth, but most refuse to believe and condemn themselves.
If you have further questions or comments please write.
Cooper Abrams
Romans 12:1-2

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Knowing that, please help me understand "once saved always saved". Doesn't man have a choice in who he serves? Why does the bible mention backsliding so much if one can't backslide? Thank you.

AnswerPhil,
I have an article at http://bible-truth.org/assuran2.html "Can A Person Know For Sure That He is Saved and Will Go To Heaven When He Dies? (The Doctrine of Eternal Security)which deals with eternal security.
Salvation is freely received from God at Ephesians 2:8-9 state and is not of one's works.
A person is born again into the family of God by the spiritual new birth (2 Cor. 5:17).
You were born into your family by physical birth and that cannot change. In the same way one "born again" by the spiritual birth, that too cannot change.
Salvation was not received by your good works or merited. Neither can you by good works can you keep yourself saved, but that is God's work and His plan. If you could lose your salvation, by doing some sin, that would mean you were keeping yourself saved by good works. Of course that is not what the Bible teaches. We are saved by God's grace not by our works, and it is God's grace that keeps us saved.
When God saved us, when we accepted His grace, He forgave all our sins, past, present, and future. Note what Romans 3:24-26 says.
"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans 3:24-26)
The word "propitiation" means "full payment."
Another article is at http://bible-truth.org/msg105.html "Eternal Security."
Hope this helps.

Expertise

Independent Fundamental Baptist missionary and pastor, ThB, MBS, and PhD as of May 28, 2013. I began pastoring in 1981, and have taught in churches, a Bible college, and a Bible Institute. I have written numerous articles on various subjects from a biblical perspective and many are posted on my web site Bible Truth ( http://www.bible-truth.org ). Bible Truth receives over one hundred and forty thousand visiters per month. Since 1998 I have answered Bible related questions via e-mail. My answers are straight forward and biblical.
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I have been a pastor since 1981 and a Independent Baptist missionary church planter since 1986. I have seen the Lord establish four Bible believing churches in Utah. My web site Bible Truth ( http:\\bible-truth.org ) continues to grow presently over 7,000 visiters per day. The materials on the web site are mostly written by myself and contain sermons, Bible commentaries, articles on various biblical subjects.